St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-08-30
FIREMEN ARRESTED.
They Are Charged With Commit
ting Arson.

PLAINFIELD, n. D., Aug. 29.-The
seven cells in the city prison were occu-
pied all day yesterday and last night by
seven members of the Plainfeld vOlun-
teer fire department. Theodore Van
Ness, Lewis Van Ness, Horace Van
Ness, George Reed, Philip Hapenny,
Robert Skinner and John Jackson. The
prisoners were arrested between 2
and O'Clock yesterday morning, ac-
cuSed of having been the OriginatOrS Of
the hundred or more incendiary fires
that have taken place i'm the city during
the last ten or twelve years. About
year ago so numerous did the fires be-
come that the board of fire underwriters
of New York sent two PinkertOn detec-
tives to Plainfield to ferret out the cuI-
prits. -Four menthS afterwards the COM
mon council offered a reward of $1,000
for the capture and conviction of the
guilty persons. Then the police
committee of the council employed Ed
ward Murphy to run down the incen-
diaries. Mr.. Murphy's. first move was
to secure room in the Scott printing
press works. Then he made himself
solid with several of the boys employed
there, and was introduced by them to
their friends in the fire department,
where Mr.. Murphy suspected the cul-
prits would be found. Wednesday night
being pay night at the factory, all the
boys would be on hand at Fred Casper's
beer-bOttling establishment and saloon
in Second street, and there they would
meet the fire laddies and with them
spend the night.
A REGULARITY
of those Wednesday night meetings was
tbat tbara ypnulH aImncf inuo no,
an alarm of fire about midnight and the
engines would be called out. Everybody
in Casper's would run to the fire, have
good time and then return to their
stamping ground and drink the free beer
that patriotic citizens would set up.
Murphy proved himself hale fellow
well met and it was not long before he
was elected member of Engine Com
pany 9, whose house is in Front street,
near Grove. He was soon admitted to
all the secrets of the company, and in less
than month he was convinced that the
majority of the fires were started by
members of the company, ''just for
the fun of the thing" He cOmmuni-
Carey, of the police committee, and de-
sired to set trap for one of the firemen
and capture him in the. act of setting
fire to a building. The result, it is said,
was even better than had been expected.
John Jackson, a member of Company
No. |, was the man selected to work
upon. Murphy proposed to him On Fri
day evening that little bonfire be built
somewhere. Jackson fell into the trap.
A house on Grand avenue, owned by
Frazer & Lee Brothers, and occupied by
Frazer, was selected to be fired, and 2
o'clock Sunday morning was the time
set Murphy, Oh Saturday morning, in
formed Chairman Carey of the plan, and
the latter agreed to be on hand and ar
rest Jackson in the act.
ABOUT MIDNIGHT
Jackson and Murphy started for the
house, carrying with them a couple of
boxes of matches and quart of kero-
Sene oil. After arriving on the scene of
action Jackson spilled the oil on the
back steps leading into the kitchen of
the house. Carey was on hand and
sneaked up behind Jackson just as he
drew box of matches from his pocket
and set fire to the saturated woodwork.
In thrice handouts were on his wrists
and he was a prisoner. Then Murphy
busted himself SmOthering the fire on
the steps before it should gain headway,
This done, coach was called and the
prisoner and his captOrS started for the
ponce SIdIlOll. DCIOTc Gifcy Tcdcilcu IL
jackson, it is alleged, made confession
duplicating twelve other members of
the company and two well-known citi-
zens. Whether this story is SO or not,
Carey refuses to say; but the fact that
six other men were arrested in less than
half an hour after the arrival of the
prisoner at the station gives color of
truth to the story. Theodore, Lewis
and Horace Van Ness were found at the
engine house. Reed was found at home
and in bed, Hapenny in North Plainfield
and Skinner near the police station.
None of them was told what he was ar
rested for until he was safely behind
the cell doors. When the facts of the
arrests were made known in the morn
ing there was tremendous excitement in
the city, and crowds soon gathered
around the station house. Special police |
were called out and were kept busy all |
day. All over the city were gathered |
knots of ten OF twelve who eXcitcdly |
discussed the matter. Never in the !
history of the city were people more |
completely taken by surprise than by |
these, arri.StS